


a trust so gentle

by ExtraSteps



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: An AU of Sorts, M/M, Pre-Relationship, mentions of nudity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-01-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:13:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22252384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExtraSteps/pseuds/ExtraSteps
Summary: Liam finds a dog under his porch. Theo finds more than just shelter during a storm.
Relationships: Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken
Comments: 12
Kudos: 155





	a trust so gentle

**Author's Note:**

  * For [maraudersourwolf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/maraudersourwolf/gifts).



> I got the title from this lovely poem:
> 
> When you go,  
> if you go,  
> and I should want to die,  
> there's nothing I'd be saved by  
> more than the time  
> you fell asleep in my arms  
> in a trust so gentle  
> I let the darkening room  
> drink up the evening, till  
> rest, or the new rain  
> lightly roused you awake.  
> I asked if you heard the rain in your dream  
> and half dreaming still you only said, I love you.

Liam hurries from the driveway to the front porch, but despite his best efforts, he’s soaked in seconds. He grumbles as he peels off his jacket, glaring balefully out at the torrential downpour that is currently ruining his afternoon. He's meant to be going over to Mason’s house to get ready for a party, but his stupid car isn’t starting and there’s no way he is walking anywhere in this.

He drapes his jacket over the porch swing, grimacing at the puddle already forming underneath it. Hopefully it will dry okay and not be ruined. It’s his favourite jacket, covered in patches from all the bands he’s seen over the past two years, and he’d hate to throw it out.

As he fishes in his pocket for his house keys, a strange noise catches his attention. It’s hard to hear anything with the way the clouds rumble overheard and the rain pounds on the tin roof of the porch, but Liam pauses and tilts his head, listening for it. He tries to search for the scent, but it’s pointless in this rain. All he can smell is wet earth and growing things. Instead, he focuses on his hearing, waiting for the sound to come again.

A whine. He glances this way and that, searching for the cause of it. 

It comes again as he walks to the edge of the porch, longer this time, long enough for him to realise it’s coming from underneath him.

Liam looks up at the sky and sighs deeply. He’s going to have to investigate, which means he’s going to get even more soaked. Fuck.

He takes out his wallet, keys and phone and puts them on the swing, before stepping down onto the garden and kneeling in the grass, peering under the porch. It’s dark, but he’s pretty sure he can make out a pair of eyes staring at him and a dark form huddled back against the house.

“Here boy,” he says gently, clicking his tongue, holding a hand out towards it. “Or girl,” he mutters. “Can’t really tell.” He pulls his hand away quickly at the flash and snap of fangs, narrowly escaping what would have been a nasty bite.

“Well, how rude,” he scolds. “Here I am trying to help you and you try and bite me? Don’t you want to come inside and get warm?”

The whine comes again, and Liam watches carefully, this time reaching forwards much slower, letting the creature sniff his hand. It licks him once and he sighs in relief. 

“Come on now,” he says, keeping his voice calm as he reaches past the head, searching for the collar. He doesn’t find one, and grimaces, only getting a handful of thick fur. No owner out looking for him then.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” he says quietly. “I am, however, very wet and very grumpy right now. I would like to go inside where there is a hot shower, and food, and clean clothes, if that’s quite alright with you?”

It must be, because the animal scoots forward a bit, squirming on its belly as it comes out from underneath the porch. It hops up, giving him an expectant look as he straightens up.

Liam gets the first clear look at the dog. It’s quite big for a dog, and he can’t quite pick the breed, taking in the black matted fur and clear, intelligent eyes. His heart swoops a bit, and he smiles at - he looks down quickly - him, reaching forward to gently pet him. The dog allows it, eyes closing and tongue lolling out of its mouth.

It’s adorable, and Liam melts even more. Will his parents let him keep a dog? They’ve never had one before, but they do have a big yard… He cuts off the thought, not wanting to get his hopes up too far before discussing it with them. Baby steps.

“Right,” Liam says, conscious of the fact that he’s still standing out in the rain. “Let’s get inside, shall we?”

The dog trots to the door and sits on the mat, staring up at the handle with clear anticipation. It must be well trained, Liam thinks as he steps up onto the porch. 

He grimaces at the squelch of his shoes and kicks them off, peeling off his socks as well. He starts to shiver as he pulls off his shirt, but there’s no way he can go inside in these drenched clothes. His mother will kill him.

Liam wrings out the shirt and adds it next to his jacket. Only then does he notice that the dog is now watching him, tail thumping on the ground.

“Oh, like that do you?” Liam asks him, arching an eyebrow at him. He gets a doggy grin in reply and shakes his head, bemused. Why does he feel like the dog can understand his every word?

He glances around, fingers lingering at the waistband of his jeans. They’re tight - Mason calls him his ‘follow me home’ jeans - and he’ll have to peel them off. From the way the curtains across the road are twitching, he’s not just giving the dog a strip tease. 

The dog gives a growl, also staring at the house, hackles raised.

“Settle,” Liam warns him. “Don’t worry, I have no intention of giving Mrs Jenkins a free show.” He grabbed his things from the swing unlocking the door, still muttering under his breath. “Old biddy gotta pay for that shit.”

The dog huffs and Liam looks down at him. Can dogs laugh? It trots past him and Liam shuts the door, frowning a little.

“Bathroom is third door on the left,” he calls after him, watching as the dog walks straight through the aforementioned door, suspicion growing.

Perhaps something more than a dog, then. A shifter of some kind, he’s pretty sure. The scent is elusive, but Liam realises that something supernatural is afoot here.

He follows the dog? into the bathroom. It’s sniffing around the room, tail giving a wag every now and again as it seems to find something that it likes. Liam tilts his head slightly. 

Why would - whoever this is - seek Liam out? 

Liam contemplates this a bit longer before shrugging. One way to find out.

Wet jeans are truly horrendous to get out of. He curses as he peels them down his thighs, hopping as he tries to get them off one leg and then the next. 

The dog sits on the bath mat and watches with a bemused air, though Liam doesn’t miss the way his eyes linger. 

He steps into the shower and wrings out the jeans as best he can, hanging them over the shower door. They’re splattered with mud, so they’ll need to be washed again.

“Definitely not going out then,” he grumbles, leaving them hanging there.

He contemplates the dog or whatever. Does he play along or call him out?

“Well,” he says, raising an eyebrow. “In you come.”

He holds the shower door open, making his intentions clear, and the dog slinks past him, sitting down in the corner of the shower and looking up at him. He kicks off his underwear, trying not to blush too obviously as he closes the door.

“Eyes up here,” he warns and the dog huffs. “Perv,” Liam tells him.

The water starts off cold, but soon heats up, and Liam grabs the shower hose, squatting down next to the dog.

“Let’s get you clean, hmm?”

The dog remains still as Liam wets him down and then shampoos him. Ordinarily, he wouldn’t use his own shampoo on an animal, but he’s ninety percent sure this is a human, so he doesn’t worry too much about it. His new friend doesn’t seem particularly concerned either, not even flinching when Liam eases his fingers through the knots in his fur, gently dislodging twigs and leaves.

He rinses out the shampoo and then checks him over once more, until he’s satisfied that he’s dealt with all the knots and debris. 

“There,” he announces. “You’re all clean.”

He turns off the water, and is not quick enough to delay the inevitable. The dog looks up at him, grins -

“Don’t you dare,” Liam hisses.

\- and vigorously shakes himself, spraying water in every direction.

“Jerk,” Liam mutters, pushing the door open and grabbing a towel, wrapping it around his waist and rubbing a second through his hair. 

The dog gives him puppy eyes from the mat, dripping and shivering and generally looking miserable. Liam just rolls his eyes. “What a drama queen,” he grumbles, but he kneels down in front of him, using his towel to rub at his fur, trying to get as much of the excess moisture out as he can.

“Happy now?” He asks, getting back up again. He gets a doggy grin in response, eyes squinting and tongue lolling out the side. He might be a shifter, but it’s obvious he’s spent a lot of time in this form. It’s so natural, and if Liam wasn’t a werewolf himself, he’d never suspect that this wasn’t a normal - if large - dog.

He turns his back on him, making his way to his bedroom. He dresses quickly in sweats and a tank top, throwing his towel in the general vicinity of his wash basket. 

When he turns back around, he rolls his eyes. The dog followed him and is flopped down at the end of the bed, eyes closed in bliss.

“Comfortable?” Liam asks sarcastically.

The dog ignores him, and Liam scowls. He’s getting really sick of this one-sided conversation.

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry,” he says, sprawling against his pillows, already tapping through the app and choosing what he wants. “I hope you’re cool with pizza.”

The dog gives a huff of acknowledgement, and Liam hums. Like many teenage boys, he hasn’t quite mastered the art of cooking without burning the house down yet. He can do all your basics - toast, cereal, bacon, sandwiches, two minute noodles - all of the necessary food groups in his opinion, but that’s about it.

“I hope you don’t mind olives,” he says, glancing down and smirking at the way the dog’s lip curls up. “Right, olives on my side only then.”

The dog settles again, and Liam rolls his eyes. If he’s trying to pretend to be a dog, he’s not doing too well at it. He completes the order, setting his phone down.

“Should be fifteen minutes,” he says conversationally. 

The dog rolls onto his back, wiggling and getting comfortable, grinning back at him, and that fond feeling is back, the one that eases any of his prickling feelings of concern that there’s a literal stranger on his bed. He doesn’t feel like a threat, but Liam is still suspicious. Something is going on here that he doesn’t quite understand.

“You can turn back, you know,” he says eventually. 

The doggy grin fades into something considerably more wary, the dog rolling onto its stomach and looking at him. 

“Don’t get me wrong,” he continues, “the dog act is cute and all, but I’ll help you either way.”

The dog hops off the bed, crouching down and Liam watches - completely awestruck- as the fur recedes and reveals the skin beneath it, paws turning to hands and feet, snout shrinking to reveal a nose and full lips.

He stands slowly, a boy who looks not much older than Liam is, with floppy brown hair and green eyes.

His first thought is - oh no, he’s cute.

His second is - well, at least he’s not some dirty old man.

His third thought is more a sort of peterdactyl type screech as his eyes dip down further than what can be considered polite. After that, his brain stalls and he’s left gaping like a fish, cheeks flushed while the other boy studies him with smug amusement.

“What happened to eyes up here?” The boy asks. His voice is rough and deep, and Liam jerks, eyes flying back up.

“Shut up,” is all he can manage, rolling away from him and listening as the strange boy rifles through Liam’s closet, his heart just about beating out of his chest. When Liam turns back around a minute later, he’s wearing a pair of Liam’s sweatpants and a hoodie that isn’t zipped up. He’s broader in the shoulders than Liam is, though his waist is thinner. Liam stares for a different reason now, eyes furrowed. 

He’s far too skinny for a boy of his age. Liam can tell he has some muscles, but they shouldn’t be quite so pronounced.

Dehydration, his mind tells him, starvation.

There are dark circles under his eyes, and the cocky look on his face is slipping as he takes in the expression on Liam’s face.

“I don’t want pity,” he says quietly. “I was just trying to get out of the rain.”

Liam nods briskly. “Well, it’s still raining,” he says. “So you’re not going anywhere tonight. And you look like you need about fifty good meals in you-”

Just the mention of food has the other boy’s stomach grumbling. “I could eat,” he concedes, cheeks flushing slightly.

Liam glances at his phone. The pizza won’t be long.

“What’s your name?” He asks.

“Theo.”

He doesn’t offer a last name, just stands uncomfortably in the doorway, shifting his weight from front to back, like he’s ready to run at a moment’s notice.

Liam observes this and sighs, running a hand down his face and leaning back against the pillows.

“Your name?” Theo asks.

“Liam.”

Theo nods, eyes sweeping the room again. His shoulders relax slightly when Liam makes no move towards him or asks any more questions. He’s conscious of the fact that Theo looks skittish as hell right now, and he doesn’t want to scare him away.

Scott hasn’t mentioned any rogue werewolves to him, so this guy clearly hasn’t been stirring up any trouble. Beacon Hills has actually been pretty quiet recently, all things considered. It’s a nice reprieve.

The doorbell rings and Theo startles, eyes flashing gold.

“Easy,” Liam says quietly, slowly sitting up. “It’s just the pizza guy.” He waits for Theo to nod and relax before he makes any further move. He pauses in front of him, searching his face. “Make yourself comfortable,” he says gently. “You’re safe here, I promise.”

He doesn’t wait for a response as he walks down the hallway, retrieving twenty dollars from his wallet and paying for the pizza. When he comes back a minute later, Theo is sitting on the edge of his bed, too stiff and still for Liam’s liking.

“You’re not used to this,” he observes.

“To what?” Theo asks him.

“Being human,” Liam elaborates, setting the pizza down on the bed and sitting down with his legs crossed, facing Theo. 

Theo glances sideways at him and then ducks his face down, hair hiding his expression. “Not really,” he admits. “It’s been awhile.”

“Easier to hunt as a wolf?” Liam asks.

He can see the tiniest hint of a smile as Theo glances back. “If I was any good at it, it probably would be,” he agrees.

It’s meant to be funny. Liam, who can see nearly every one of Theo’s ribs, doesn’t laugh.

He opens the pizza box and grabs a slice, sticking into his mouth before he can say something that gets him in trouble, that makes Theo run away before he’s got something in him. He nudges the box towards Theo, and his hand shakes slightly as he reaches out to take a piece of pizza.

Liam pretends not to watch as Theo nibbles at it slowly, his stomach rumbling and gurgling with every bite. He wonders when Theo’s last real meal had been and tries not to let it break his heart. There must be some reason that Theo’s been living as a street dog instead of a human.

Normally, Liam can devour an entire pizza on his own in the blink of an eye. Now, though, he only eats a few slices, and they sit heavy in his gut.

“Want some water?” Liam asks, getting off the bed. Theo nods, and Liam fetches two glasses, filling them and bringing them back to his room, handing one to the other boy.

Theo drinks it quickly and sets it down, giving him a shy smile that Liam returns. He looks significantly less likely to either keel over or slip out the door, and Liam lets himself sink back against his pillows, watching as Theo finished off the rest of the pizza, his appetite quickly recovering.

He has many questions, and has to bite the tip of his tongue to keep them down so that they don’t erupt. It makes him antsy, and he fidgets his fingers in the edge of his shirt, until Theo looks at him, face going carefully blank.

He’s used to hiding his emotions, Liam realises. 

Liam swallows down as many questions as he can, feeling them churning in his gut. “Do you want me to sort the trundle bed for you?” He asks instead.

Theo blinks, obviously surprised. “What?”

Liam kicks at the side of his bed. “I have a trundle bed. I can go get the sheets and blanket for it, make it up.”

Theo studies his face, unable to hide his incredulity. 

“You don’t know me,” he objects.

Liam shrugs. “So?”

“So I could be a serial killer or something,” Theo points out, twin roses blooming on his cheeks, his outrage clear. “Where’s your sense of self-preservation?”

“Are you?” Liam asks, biting the inside of his cheek to hide the smirk that wants to form.

Theo blinks again. “Am I what?”

“A serial killer?”

“Well no,” Theo splutters, “but that’s besides the point-”

“You can stay,” Liam interrupts him. “Tomorrow, if you want to, I can introduce you to Scott. He’ll help you too.”

Theo makes a strangled noise but doesn’t say anything further, just shaking his head and muttering something under his breath about idiot werewolves that Liam pretends not to hear.

“I’ll get those sheets,” he says cheerfully, getting up and walking into the hallway.

He rummages through the linen press, searching for the right sheets.

“Why do you trust me?” He hears Theo ask.

Liam pauses. He doesn’t really know, if he’s honest. It’s more like a gut feeling, like an instinct that’s nudging him towards helping this boy, in getting him to stay.

“I don’t know,” he says, deciding on honesty. Theo’s standing in his doorway, watching him, and Liam turns towards him, meeting his gaze. “I just do.”

“Just like that?” Theo asks, looking sceptical.

Liam nods. “Just like that,” he echoes.

He pulls out the sheets, brushing past Theo so that he can kneel down and wrestle the trundle out from under his bed. He can feel eyes on the back of his head as he makes the bed, pulling down one of the spare pillows from his bed and fluffing it up, putting it in place. He grabs one of the blankets he regularly kicks off in the middle of the night and puts that one as well, standing up to survey his handiwork.

The trundle hasn’t been used since he and Mason used to have sleepovers when they were kids. It had seemed big enough then, but he gives Theo a dubious glance - he’s a lot bigger than a kid.

“Sorry, it's not much,” he says sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

“It’s a lot,” Theo says quietly. “More than you can imagine.”

He nods, feeling awkward again. “Wanna play a game or something?” Theo arches an eyebrow at him and Liam immediately gets flustered. “A video game,” he says, holding up his xbox controller.

“I don’t know how good I’ll be,” Theo says eventually. “But why not.”

Liam sets it all up and hands Theo the second controller, moving to sit back on his bed. Theo looks around for a few moments and hesitates.

“Here,” Liam says quietly, patting the space beside him. 

Theo nods and joins him, and Liam tries not to think too much about the warmth of Theo’s leg nudging his own. But as aware as he is of Theo’s every breath, the game does eventually manage to pull him in.

“Get him,” Liam yells. “On your right.”

“Fuck,” Theo hisses, fingers jamming at the buttons. He’s too late though, and they both groan as the other team kills them. 

Liam drops the controller to the bed, trying not to pout. Over the headphones they’re both now wearing, a kid that sounds like he’s about nine taunts them.

Liam disconnects from the game, slumping back. Theo looks at him, bemused.

“I had no idea that children were so vicious,” he says.

Liam can’t help but smile at that. “You have no idea.”

He tilts his head a moment later, hearing a car pull into the driveway. Theo immediately stiffens.

“Relax,” he says. “It’s just my mum. Her name’s Jenna.”

  
Theo doesn’t say anything, but Liam watches him from the corner of his eye as they both track his mum inside the house. 

“Liam?” She calls.

“In here,” he calls back. She makes her way to the door, smoothing her hair out of her face. “Oh, hello.”

“This is Theo,” Liam offers. Her eyes flick over him, and Liam can see her razor quick assessment. She gives him a questioning look. “He’s staying the night.”

Her mouth tightens. “Good,” she says. “I hope Liam’s made you feel welcome, Theo.”

“He has, thank you, ma’am,” Theo replies stiffly, looking deeply uncomfortable. Jenna smiles at him, oozing that calm sort of comfort that only mothers can.

“Jenna is fine,” she gently reprimands him. He gives a stiff nod and drops his eyes. He misses that way his mum gives a very decisive nod. Liam’s sure that by morning the spare room will be made up and a veritable feast waiting for them at the table. He can tell that she took note of Theo’s emaciated condition.

“What happened to Mason?” She asks, sensing, correctly, that Theo is uncomfortable with her attention. “I thought you two were going out tonight?”

Liam feels Theo’s eyes on the side of his face, studying him, waiting for his answer as well. 

“Car wouldn’t start,” he shrugs dismissively. “Not a huge tragedy. He’ll be having more fun dancing with Corey than trying to force me to talk to every single guy at Sinema.” He gives an exaggerated roll of his eyes.

His mum smirks. “He means well,” she reminds him. 

Beside him, Theo has relaxed fractionally. Clearly, it was the right answer. Liam has his suspicions as to why.

“Yeah well,” Liam grumbles. “I can do fine on my own.”

“Clearly,” she says, eyes flicking to Theo. Liam scowls at her and she just laughs. “Well, I’ll be in the kitchen if you boys need anything. David will be home soon so I need to get some dinner started.”

“My stepdad,” Liam tells Theo quietly. He nods. “Thanks mum.”

She smiles and leaves, shutting the door quietly behind her.

“She seems nice,” Theo says. He’s not looking at Liam, but instead at his own hands, fidgeting at the corner of his borrowed jumper.

There’s a quiet longing in his voice that makes Liam contemplative. It’s on the tip of his tongue - where are your parents - but Theo is too still, holding his breath against that dreaded question.

So he swallows that one down too.

“Another game?” He asks.

Theo shudders, glancing up at him. His eyes search his face and the look he gives Liam is so pathetically grateful that it makes Liam’s chest ache.

“Sure,” Theo agrees.

This time, Theo settles more comfortably against the pillows, his shoulder warm where it’s pressed against Liam’s. There’s a few lingering looks that give Liam hope, but for now he leaves it.

He has no intention of rushing into anything. He’ll take it step by step, day by day.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy birthday Des <3


End file.
